The baseball world lost an integral piece of history yesterday as it was announced that Osvaldo “Ozzie” Virgil Sr., passed away on Sunday. He was 92 years old.
The Dominican Republic native migrated to the Bronx in the late 40s, where Virgil graduated from high school then enlisted in the US marines from 1950-1952. I n1953, the 21-year-old Virgil embarked on his baseball career that included nine seasons in the major leagues with the Giants (two stints), Tigers, Athletics, Orioles, and Pirates. He was the first non-white player for the Detroit organization in 1958, 11 years after jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. At the time, Virgil was considered the first Black Tigers player, but he was the first Dominican-born baseball player to play in the majors and the first Latino Tigers player.
Following his playing career, Virgil spent 19 seasons as an MLB coach with the Giants, Expos, Padres, and Mariners from 1968-88. He served as third base coach under Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams with the Expos (1977-81), Padres (1982-85) and Mariners (1986-88).
Virgil’s son, Ozzie Jr., played 11 MLB seasons with the Phillies, Braves, and Blue Jays from 1980-90. He went to the 1985 All-Star Game with the Phillies and the 1987 All-Star Game with the Braves.
“He means a lot,” the Yankees’ Juan Soto said last year. “He was the first Dominican coming to the big leagues and opened the doors for a lot of Dominicans — and not only Dominicans, for all Latin players.”
In 2008 with the Detroit Free Press, the late Federal Judge Damon Keith said, “Ozzie was not white, but he wasn’t Black, and he was caught in between through no fault of his own.”
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